


Room to Grow

by BaredWolf



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dean's bedroom, First Kiss, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 20:06:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/739595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaredWolf/pseuds/BaredWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cas is staying with Dean and Sam in the bunker. He's supposed to have his own bedroom, but he'd rather not be alone right now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Room to Grow

It’s late on a Thursday night when they make it back to the bunker. Cas had elected to ride in the car with them for this trip. Dean didn’t quite know why, but he wasn’t about to complain. Cas was staying with them, for now at least, and Sam had left Dean to get him set up in one of the bedrooms for the night.

“But Dean, why do I need my own room? I don’t sleep, I don’t need a bed. I don’t have any belongings to store.” Cas is treating the whole idea as if it was ridiculous to just want some space for yourself.

“Look, having your own space is worth it, Cas. You’ll like it. I’ll show you my room, it’s awesome. And Sam and I do sleep, and you don’t really want to spend all night sitting in the library, do you?” Dean considers momentarily that perhaps this is exactly what Cas wants, but Cas gives no indication of agreement. Dean opens the door to his room, eyes fixed on Cas' face as he takes in the space Dean had so carefully arranged. “See? Awesome.”

Cas hesitates in the doorway, then makes his way slowly around the room, counterclockwise. Dean observes silently, letting Cas explore uninterrupted. He touches the weapons hung on the wall, lingering on the axe Dean had used in Purgatory. He brushes fingertips along the bedspread, which reminds Dean to teach Cas about the wonders of memory foam. He makes his way to the desk, thumbing through records, staring at the photo of Dean and his mom for long enough that Dean starts trying to figure out something to do with his own hands. Finally, he completes the circuit and returns to Dean.

“Why can’t I stay here? I can watch over you while you sleep.” Dean wants to act surprised, although this was nothing new, to tell Cas that it’s creepy to watch people sleep, although he’s really just worried what Sam will think if the angel starts spending the night in Dean’s room.

“Cas, you should have your own.” Cas looks almost petulant at his insistence, Castiel the Petulant Angel, and Dean knows him well enough to recognize that Cas is going to agree with him now and then never actually use the room. So he tries to explain. “Sam would...ask questions if we just started sharing a room.” Cas is apparently familiar enough with human customs to understand the implication of Dean’s statement, because now he is blushing, flushed pink and staring at the floor.

An angel of the lord, standing in Dean Winchester’s bedroom, blushing. _Well, fuck_. And Dean isn’t even going to mention the last, most important reason Cas can’t share his room: because his feelings towards the angel aren’t exactly...platonic. And sharing a bedroom when he knows (or is sure enough that) those feelings aren’t reciprocated is just asking for trouble and pain. Cas is holding his gaze now; how long have they been standing here, like this, in silence?

“Dean.”

“Cas.”

“Dean, I really don’t care if Sam asks...questions. I’d rather stay with you. I don’t like being alone very much right now.” Cas’ tone was neutral, but his words drove home what the angel was actually dealing with beneath that placid surface. Cas moved towards the bed again, sat down on the edge, fixed Dean with an open expression that only reinforced his vulnerable state. _A bad idea, unfair maybe, but he’s hurting a lot right now. And if he wants to stay..._

“Cas. Yeah, whatever you need, okay? I’m here.” And he thinks about jokingly admonishing the angel against stealth cuddling while Dean’s sleeping to break the tension, but then figures if Cas actually is bad off enough to actually _cuddle_ , Dean’s not going to deny him. Can’t deny him anything, really.

Cas’ eyes shift momentarily to something behind Dean, and he hears the door click softly shut, hears the lock _snick_ into place. Then Cas is just sitting there, staring at him again, so Dean walks over and sits down on the edge of the bed next to him. He wonders if Cas understands the implication of the locked door the way he understands the implication of sharing a bedroom. He remembers: he wanted to tell Cas about the “Memory foam. That’s what this stuff is - it’s so comfortable, Cas, it’s unreal.” He presses a hand into the mattress behind them, smiling at the angel as he shares this creature comfort.

And maybe he was hoping the angel would shrug out of his trench coat and jacket, kick off his shoes, and lay back to find out for himself. But when Cas actually does it, his head resting on Dean’s pillow, eyes closed, Dean does the only thing he can think about right then. He toes off his boots, pulls his legs up onto the bed, shifts and stretches out next to Cas on his side, head supported on one hand. He cups Cas’ jaw with the other, turning the angel’s head to face him. Cas’ eyes slide open, a fearsome, fearful intensity behind his gaze. Dean is moving at a snail’s pace, trying to give Cas time to catch up, to run out, but it’s Cas who finally closes the distance. Who presses his lips to Dean’s in a breathtaking kiss (where...how did he pick up _that much_ skill? Holy _shit_ ) before wrapping his arms around him, gently moving Dean so Dean’s head rests on his shoulder, body halfway draped across Cas’. A gentle press of his lips to Dean’s forehead, as Cas runs his fingers over Dean’s cheek, traces his jaw.

“Goodnight, Dean.” Cas turns off the light switch the same way he’d locked the door, plunging the room into darkness.

If you told Dean before that this was as far as they’d get on their first go, he’d have laughed in your face. But it’s only moments later that he’s drifting off, and he sleeps a dreamless, deep sleep. Cas just holds him, buries his nose in Dean’s hair, focusing on the steady breath of the living man cradled against his body.


End file.
